The Expressions Factory

Get an AOL employee's inside look at how we build Expressions, sneak peeks of stuff we're working on and answers to the questions you're asking us.

RSS FEED IDEMS: The Expressions Factory

  • The Expressions Factory is Moving!

    Hi,

     

    The Expressions Factory is moving to the new & larger AIM BuddyBlog.  The new blog has more about Expressions, but it also encompasses the whole AIM client and everything that goes into our product.  Please follow the links below to the AIM BuddyBlog and continue to see what new Expressions are coming out, along with other updates.  Make sure to add the new site to your favorites.


    James




    Mon, 27 Nov 2006 19:12:07 GMT

  • Think Pink!
    Hi All, 

    I wanted to take a chance to let you know some ways that you can help support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Check out our Think Pink website and you can adopt a pink ribbon icon from our library.


    Think Pink!



    Support Breast Cancer Awareness with a Buddy Icon!


    James

    Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:55:22 GMT

  • A contest for our new wallpapers!
    Hi All,

    We need your help! We have these new wallpapers and we have no idea what to call them. We are having a contest to let our users name these new wallpapers. If you follow the link below, you'll be directed to the contest website and you can submit your entries. If your entry is picked, you will have named one of our coolest new products and we'll spotlight you on AIM Today.

    So, please go check out the website and get creative with your entries.  You can enter as many names as you want. The website has examples of these wallpapers, so you can see how cool AIM is getting.

    James

    Go to the Wallpaper Contest
    Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:43:02 GMT

  • Join (RED)™! Become (RED)! Check it out!
    Hi All,

    We are partnering with (RED)™ because we feel that you can help support
    the cause. (RED) is partnering with so many companies that have strong
    brand recognition already to spread their message, which, without
    getting into too much detail, is helping women and children with HIV and
    AIDS in Africa. (RED) is going about this in an entirely different way and is
    not just a normal charity. If you want to find out more about (RED) you can
    check out their websites. I’ve listed the links below.

    Our part in supporting (RED) consists of published Expressions that you
    can use on AIM and AOL by visiting the links below or creating a WeeMee
    that is wearing (RED) apparel. You can adopt Expressions that represent
    your support of (RED) and their mission. It’s not about you donating to
    (RED) (unless you want to) but using the products that they have teamed
    up with to make a difference in so many people’s lives.
    Join (RED)! Become (RED)!     Check it out!

    James


       
    Click for (RED) buddy icons!


    Click to create a WeeMee and select (RED) apparel!

    www.joinred.com

    www.becomered.com

    www.myspace.com/joinred

    Fri, 13 Oct 2006 15:59:35 GMT

  • News on Expressions

    Hi,

    So, I am definitely still reading through your comments and I like the ideas I’m getting.  I wanted to let you know that it’s very hard for me to comment back directly to all the comments, but I am listening to requests and working on getting things up.  A lot of the requests are for content that is copyrighted, which makes things a little more difficult to put online, however not impossible.  I’m trying hard to reach out the people I need to, to start getting permission for this content.  One of the hardest things is sports teams both professional and college teams, but I’m working on it.  As far as Anime and a lot of the cartoon characters I am getting requests for, I am working on it.  All I can say for right now is that it’ll probably come all at once down the road. 

    One of the things I have been doing since I started is learning what we have in our library of expressions and working to organize it better and make the categories and subcategories more organized and relevant.  There is a lot of things that need to get done and I promise I’m working to get them done.  I’ve also been working on some other surprises for the upcoming months, I can’t talk reveal anything just yet, but I can say these new expressions are very cool and very different from our current expressions.  I promise to keep reading the comments and hopefully soon will have results to a lot of the requests I’ve been receiving.
     
    I do however have some new icons that are now in the library, they have gone in over the last month, so you may have seen them and hopefully some of them are new to you.  I will start posting a weekly message with what I have published that week.  Again, keep the messages coming as they are a great help to me.    

    James

    Some new SuperBuddies published recently:

                                       


     


    Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:01:58 GMT

  • Check out Zombie Boy!
    Hi,

    We have the latest SuperBuddy in perfect time for Halloween.     Check out Zombie Boy!


    James
    Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:07:02 GMT

  • New animated icons for fall!
    Hi,

    I’ve got some new buddy icons for you guys.  I know it’s been a while, but check these out. This time they are all linkable.

    Check out our Fall Season icons:

                       

    Check out our Fall Sports icons:

                                           

    Check out our latest Halloween icons:

                       

     
     James


    Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:16:51 GMT

  • The latest and greatest of AIM!

    Hi,

    So, I think you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised with this news.  I told all of you that we had exciting products that would launch soon and soon is NOW!  As of today we have officially launched a new function to AIM.  We have an entire new line of wallpapers.  These are so different than anything we have ever had.  The wallpapers are flash based, which means that now your wallpaper will have animation to it and allows the user to play with the IM wallpapers.  The animations happen both through you clicking on areas of the wallpaper and text triggers similar to that of Super Buddies.  These wallpapers work with our Newest Version of AIM, which I recommend, if you haven’t downloaded it already, do it now.  For our AOL users, I cannot say it enough, switch over to using the new AIM, because these new wallpapers do not currently work inside of the AOL Client.  We are really excited about these wallpapers and I know you will be too.

    That is not the only news I have for you.  Along with this new technology that we can use because of AIM, we have partnered with a company based out of Scotland, UK.  Let me introduce you to my WeeMee.


    WeeWorld has created these wonderful avatars for you to create a cartoonish online version of yourself.  You should stop reading this blog right now and go Create a WeeMee.  They respond to text triggers just like Super Buddies, but are joined with the new wallpaper technology we have and interact with your wallpaper.  You stylize your WeeMee however you want and everyone that is using the new AIM will get to see the WeeMee you created. If you are talking with somebody that is using an older version of AIM or is using the AOL Client, your WeeMee will be transformed into a static buddy icon, so I can't say it enough, upgrade to the newest version of AIM and tell your friends to upgrade to the new version.  We have lots of options for you to choose from and this is just the beginning.  Check out the website at aim.weeworld.com and create WeeMee today.

    James


    Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:55:20 GMT

  • Smile about Smileys

    Hi,

    I've got a favor to ask you.  I’m working with our designers to have some more smileys made and wanted to get some ideas from you guys so I can get what you want.  This time around I’m not looking to get too advanced.  But if you look at the library you can figure out the way our smileys are set up. We have the 16 basic emotions: Smiling, Frowning, Winking, Sticking-out-tongue, Surprised, Kissing, Yelling, Cool, Money-mouth, Foot-in-mouth, Embarrassed, Innocent, Undecided, Crying, Lips-are-sealed, and Laughing.  The trick is to come up with themes that will enable us to make a clearly visible emotion for each smiley.  So let me know what ideas you have and I’ll work with our designers to improve the smiley library.  As always, thanks for your comments!

    James


    Tue, 19 Sep 2006 14:53:43 GMT

  • Desktops, Expressions and the New and Improved AIM Triton

    Hi all,

    I have bad news for desktop fans.  There are no new desktops, and, for now, there will not be any new desktops.  They stopped making them before I started, and that should explain why it has been so long since they made them.  I’m part of the AIM team and, I only work on products associated with instant messenger.  I know this might be some upsetting news to those of you who like them, but there is nothing that I can do because it’s not my product.

    I also have received some comments from users who were unable to find the new icons that I have published on AOL.  Expressions are only published to AIM, but they work on the AOL client, so please check out AIM Today and go to the Expressions tab to find the full library of AIM expressions.

    Now for really great news! We just launched the newest version of AIM Triton and, I have to say, it is really awesome.  The bugs that users were seeing have been corrected and the client is cleaned up.  The new version is also a lighter download than the original. It’s really worth your while to download the new version, so checkout AIM.com. Thanks for all of the comments and ideas; all of you are helping so much by letting me know what you want.  Keep on checking in for all the latest expressions news and I’ll keep updating you guys!

    James


    Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:00:33 GMT

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